Taking your campfire recipes to the next level

There’s nothing quite like cooking on a campfire. It’s fun, the whole family can get involved and it results in some really tasty grub! Plus there’s no need to worry about connecting to an electricity supply if you’re using a campfire, which avoids the possibility of tripping the power supply for the whole campsite. The tips below can help you to take your campfire recipes to the next level and have you displaying some sizzling hot cooking skills in no time.

Prep beforehand for hassle-free cooking

Plan the meals for your camping trip before you go. This way you’ll know exactly what and how much to bring which lessens the amount you have to transport and reduces the chance of food being wasted because it went off before it was used. You can transport food items by bringing only what you need in small containers rather than bringing food in its original packaging, especially if the original amount of food is more than you’ll actually be using during your trip. You should always try to bring any essentials so that you can minimise what you need to buy from the campsite shop (which can be quite costly compared to average supermarket prices!).

You can also come up with campfire recipes that enable you to do a lot, if not all, the preparation at home so that the food is ready to be cooked when you arrive at your campsite. If you want to save extra time, some items can be cooked beforehand, such as meat, and then they will need to be heated up, which is much quicker than cooking from scratch on a campfire.

Simply delicious

You don’t have to go to great trouble to create tasty campfire food. One simple but very delicious option is a hobo meal. In essence, this involves wrapping a selection of ingredients in aluminium foil and then cooking them in the coals of the campfire. For instance, you could place some chicken or a burger, a selection of desired vegetables and some seasoning on a piece of foil and then fold the foil to create a packet, making sure to seal all the edges. Cooking times will vary depending on how many coals there are and what you’re cooking, but placing coals on top of the packet while it is also resting on the coals will reduce the cooking time. You can take the packet off the coals and unwrap it to check if the food is cooked. If it isn’t cooked, it’s simple to rewrap the packet and put it back on the coals to cook for a bit longer. A bonus with a hobo meal is that it can be prepared beforehand and frozen until required, making it a very convenient option for campfire cooking.

Another easy option is the likes of bread sticks and pizzas. Just prepare the dry ingredients of a dough mix before you set off on your trip and then you can add the wet ingredients to create the dough when required. If you’re making a pizza, it’s simple enough to grill it on both sides and put whatever toppings you want on it. If you’re keen to create bread sticks, just cut the dough into strips, wrap them around sticks and cook them over the flames until the exteriors are a bit charred. You can use your imagination to add tasty ingredients such as cheese or other flavourings to the dough.

Kid friendly campfire treats

Roasted marshmallows are always a favourite with children but youngsters (and adults too!) can get a bit more creative by making kid friendly desserts such as orange brownies. Super simple to make, all you need is an orange, some brownie mix and aluminium foil. Cut the top off the orange and hollow it out so you’re left with a cup made out of orange peel. Place the brownie mix (made up beforehand at home) into the hollow orange so it is around two-thirds full. Then put the top of the orange back in place, wrap the orange in aluminium foil and place it in the coals. The heat of the campfire will cook the brownie mixture just as an oven would but this method provides much more entertainment!

Hollowed-out oranges are also great for cooking eggs. Just cut an orange in half, hollow it out and place the uncooked egg in one half (or cook two eggs, one in each half). Then just place the orange peel in the coals (it’s advisable to have an adult on hand to supervise this part) and monitor the contents until the egg is cooked.

Safety tips

With open flames and hot coals, it is important to remain extra vigilant while using a campfire to cook. Light your fire in an open space where nothing can accidentally catch alight and people can quickly retreat if needed. Children should always be supervised in the presence of a campfire. When you are finished using it, remember to make sure the fire is properly extinguished.

Convenient cooking and dining delights

Enjoying a campfire barbeque with family or friends is a real joy and a great opportunity to try new recipes and cooking techniques you might not have considered before. Fantastic food doesn’t have to take ages to prepare or a great deal of skill to cook. Get creative and experiment to come up with your very own campfire recipes that will have you wishing you could cook on a campfire every day!